Last Friday night’s SmackDown was built around Universal Champion Roman Reigns putting his title on the line against Daniel Bryan in the show’s main event. If Bryan lost, which he did, he’d be banished from SmackDown. It was believed that this was done to move Bryan to either Raw or SmaackDown and get heat on Reigns. However, it has now been confirmed by multiple sources that Bryan’s contract actually expired at midnight following SmackDown. WWE has already moved him to the alumni section of their website.
For a long time, it was believed that Bryan’s contract expired this upcoming September, but he revealed in a recent interview with TV Line that it wasn’t accurate. However, he didn’t give any indication that its expiry was imminent. What the future now holds for Bryan remains to be seen. He could simply re-sign with WWE for fewer dates. However, as he is now a free agent, he can negotiate and sign with AEW or New Japan, or as in the case of Jon Moxley, both promotions.
Bryan’s WWE career has had extreme highs and lows. His title victory at WrestleMania 30 was considered one of the WWE’s all-time great moments. He did, though, have to retire from the ring due to concussion issues from 20015-2018. Thankfully, he made able to make a triumphant return at WrestleMania 34 after multiple neurosurgeons, and Dr. Joseph Maroon, who is associated with WWE, cleared him to compete.
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Over the weekend, SEScoops.com reported that Tessa Blanchard and Daga, who got married in August 2020 and live together in Mexico, have been in negotiations with AEW. The news was picked up by other outlets like What Culture, and soon the pair signing with AEW become a hot topic of conversation. However, it has now been confirmed by multiple reliable sources that nobody in AEW’s management has spoken to either Blanchard or Daga, and at present, there is no interest in bringing her in
Blanchard is a controversial figure in pro wrestling for multiple reasons, but the most troubling one is the allegation of racism made against her, with it claimed she used a racial slur and spat in the face of Puerto Rican wrestler Black Rose. It should be noted that Blanchard has consistently denied this accusation. Additionally, she soured her relationship with Impact Wrestling after refusing to cooperate with them while their main champion. She would then demand the promotion paid her $150,000 to return the physical belt when she was released. Her request was sensibly rebuffed by Impact as belts used on television typically cost between $10,000 – $25,000.
While Blanchard is an incredibly talented performer, any company which signs her will undoubtedly face backlash from fans. Given that, WWE would likely be her best option as they’ve proven in the past they are willing to overlook allegations and criticism if talents can make them money. The 25-year-old has previously appeared on NXT in 2016 and participated in the Mae Young Classic in 2017. Still, at the time, no contract offer was made.
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Eva Marie left WWE in 2017 following four years with the company but signed a new contract with WWE last year. Since that news broke, fans have been wondering when she will return to television with it understood she has been in training for her return. Now during this week’s Raw, a video aired asking, “Do I have your attention?” and “this is Eva-Lution.” which you can watch below.
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Eva Marie’s return announcement didn’t get entirely positive feedback from fans on social media, as many were unhappy that they had brought her back when Chelsea Green, Mickie James, Peyton Royce, and Billie Kay had just been released. It should be noted though Marie had been listed internally on WWE’s roster for months, and the company was waiting for the right time to re-introduce her.
The former Toal Divas star initially joined WWE in 2013 after impressing during a casting call and signed a developmental contract. Due to getting a spot on the E! reality show, she was rushed to the main roster. She’d eventually disappear from television and extensively worked with Brian Kendrick to improve her in-ring ability. This lead to her debuting on NXT in 2015 and then returning to the main roster in 2016. She’d depart the company due to focusing on other projects, and competed on Celebrity Big Brother, became an ambassador for Monster Energy’s Reign brand, and launched a fashion range with Ryderwear in Australia.
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In 2008, ECW original Dawn Marie launched Wrestler’s Rescue, a charitable organization to raise money for wrestlers in need of help with medical care and living costs. However, people called into question where the money was going, with Kamala releasing a video saying he didn’t receive help despite an auction having taken place on the WrestlersRescue.org website. It was also claimed neither Steve Williams nor Jerry Lynn received their promised support. However, Dawn Marie has always disputed this, and in an interview with D-Von Dudley’s podcast has stated that it was the controversy from this which caused her to walk away from pro wrestling.
I hung it up when the whole controversy. I thought I’ve had enough of you people when that whole controversy happened with Wrestler’s Rescue. It was all lies. I put out so much proof that every single thing was a lie, everything. I had all this proof. No one wanted to hear it. All they wanted to hear was bad stuff, and people believed it.
I was like, “You know what? I don’t have to be hurt by this business anymore. Why am I here?” I was like, “I can’t do it anymore. That’s it. I’m done. I’m washing my hands.” It was just consuming. I was so hurt that people, or should I say, the fans, actually believed it. I was like, “You know what? I’m not putting myself there anymore. I’m done.”
I spent more money on that foundation than I ever made on that foundation for people. Not only that, my whole purpose of creating that organization, because after I was fired and I had my lawsuit with Vince, I just wanted to make lemonade from lemons. It was my way of trying to change a business in a positive way. Isn’t that what we were always taught in the business? You want to retire knowing you changed the business in a positive way.Dawn Marie
Dawn Marie was let go by WWE in 2005 when she was pregnant with her first child Matthew. This resulted in her filing a complaint against WWE with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and WWE settled in 2007. She would briefly return to the ring with Women’s Superstars Uncensored for a handful of matches in 2008 before having a second child named Katelyn in 2009. Since then, she has only made sporadic appearances on independent shows and fan conventions, instead choosing to focus on her new career as a nurse.
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Chris Jericho felt insulted by WWE after his match with Kevin Owens was put on second on the main card at WrestleMania 33. Tony Khan capitalized on this and signed the former WWE Champion to a multiple-year deal. It was a massive signing for AEW as it instantly gave the promotion credibility and helped open doors due to Jericho’s legendary status.
While the relationship had been great for both parties, some eyebrows were raised when it was announced that Jericho would be a guest on Steve Austin’s Broken Skulls Sessions. This led to speculation on social media that this could lead to Jericho making a WWE return. However, Jericho has played that down in a recent interview with TV Insider, saying he can’t see himself going anywhere else.
One of the reasons I wanted to come to AEW was the challenge of building this organization from scratch. Three months into our television existence, we signed a huge extension because of what we had accomplished, which was kind of on my back for the first few months. Now it has been spread to so many other people. All the pressure and spotlight isn’t only on Chris Jericho, which is great. That was always my goal. I’m AEW all-in, all the way at this point. I can’t see myself going anywhere else.Chris Jericho
It’s expected WWE will make Jericho a substantial offer to return when his contract does expire along with a Hall of Fame proposition. Still, it sounds like Jericho is happy being part of something he helped create and is constantly growing. This week he will be involved in arguably the biggest non-championship match in AEW’s short history when his Inner Circle faction takes on The Pinnacle in a War Games-inspired Blood & Guts match on Dynamite. The name was a shot at Vince McMahon, who referred to AEW as “Blood and Guts,” and it’s expected the episode will do big rating numbers.
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The Forgotten Sons stable, consisting of Jaxson Ryker, Steve Cutler, and Wesley Blake, were in line for a big push once called up to the main roster. The plan was for them to defeat The New Day to become SmackDown Tag Team Champions. However, the group was taken off television shortly after debuting on the blue brand due to Ryker tweeting support for Donald Trump following the George Floyd tragedy and BLM protests.
Eventually, Cutler and Blake returned to television to work with Baron Corbin as The Knights of the Lone Wolf, but the angle was hastily dropped after Cutler missed TV due to the need to isolate. On February 4, 2021, WWE announced Cutler had been released from the company, and the belief was Vince McMahon was furious that Cutler got ill due to attending a New Year’s Eve party along with his girlfriend, Deonna Purrazzo of Impact Wrestling.
Now in an interview with Fightful, he discusses how he found out he had heat with Vince McMahon from Wesley Blake and receiving the phone call from Mark Carrano releasing him.
I’m on my way home, and then here I am getting texts from Blake. Get a phone call, “Hey, do you have heat? Like for something you have done?” I’m like, “I dunno. Why?” He goes, “Ah, somebody’s kind of pissed, and a few people said in a meeting that Vince wanted to fire you at that moment,” and I had a few friends that were in that meeting as well. I was like, “Huh. Okay. That’s good.” So, of course, I send a message to Mark Carrano saying, “Hey, I don’t know what’s going on or what’s being thrown around, if there’s anything you need to talk to me about, please call me, text me, let me know what’s up.” No answer.
One of the writers we kept in touch with said, “No, you guys are fine. You guys were brought up in creative as well.” Okay, cool. Then weeks go by. Weeks go by again. I know Vince McMahon wasn’t at TV for a while cause his brother passed, and condolences for that. So, we knew obviously we’re not getting an answer cause the boss isn’t there. Makes sense. Steve Cutler
Cutler would then explain he returned to the Performance Center after Otis reached out to him, and he worked out with Adam Pearce, Drew Gulak, Commander Azeez, and Omos. However, he would get a text message from Mark Carrano asking him to give him a call, which Cutler initially believed was about creative. When Cutler called back, Carrano was boarding a flight but called Cutler back later and delivered the news he was being released.
It’s around 7:30, and then I get the call from Carrano saying, “Hey, Steve.” “Oh, hey, Mark. How is everything?” “Good. I don’t like making these calls, but…'” Obviously, instantly it just clicked. “Ah. I’m getting fired. Awesome.” Looked at Deonna. She’s like, “What’s the matter?” I’m just like, “Ah, well, I’m getting fired.”Steve Cutler
The belief is McMahon was so upset with Cutler because he’d promised Roman Reigns a safe working environment when he convinced him to return last year. Hence, he considered this a disciplinary issue. Other wrestlers also attended New Year’s Eve parties, but they were seemingly off McMahon’s radar as they didn’t catch anything.
What’s next for Cutler remains to be seen, but we should know soon with his non-compete clause expiring this week. With his girlfriend being prominently featured in Impact Wrestling, there is speculation that he could end up wrestling for them, but as they taped several weeks of television last week, it will likely be some time until he would debut.
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Peyton Royce and Billie Kay were among ten wrestlers released by WWE on April 15th, 2021, ending their six-year run with the company. The former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions were on separate brands at the time of their releases but will always be associated due to their popular IIconics double-act bringing them to fame. The pair is wasting no time planning their non-WWE futures by filing trademark applications on their new names. Peyton Royce, whose real name is Cassandra McIntosh applying for “Cassie Lee,” and Billie Kay, whose name is Jessica Kay, filing for “Jessie Kay.”
While there are still months outstanding on their non-compete clauses, there has still been lots of talk about where they will end up post-WWE. Some speculate that AEW is their likely destination due to the former Peyton Royce being married to Shawn Spears of The Pinnacle. Now, in an interview with Wrestling Daily, Spears, who debuted for AEW at their inaugural pay-per-view event Double or Nothing in 2019, was asked about this possibility.
Those kind of questions are a little above my pay grade. Being biased and obviously being selfish, of course, I think both of those women individually are incredible talents, but collectively they are over the moon in terms of talent. I don’t need to sell Cassie Lee or Billie Kay. I don’t need to sell any of those guys to you. You know what they are capable of, you know how highly entertaining they are, and when it comes to in-ring ability, they just compliment each other so well.
In terms of where they’ll show up, Tony, why not? But again, those things are above my pay grade. When things like that happen, and they happen to everybody, I tell everybody this not just those two, but I’ve been released before. Everybody loses their job at some point, you’re either there for 30 years, and they give you a gold watch, and you retire, or things happen.
The main thing is how you bounce back. Really good individuals, really strong-willed individuals, and people with even a chip on their shoulder, they have a tendency to bounce back and land on their feet, and those two women are going to land on their feet without question.
Wherever they go, they’re going to be on TV together somewhere. So selfishly, I’d like us to get ahold of them first, but wherever they go, they’re going to make a massive, impactful debut. I expect nothing less from those two.Shawn Spears
Fans of the Australian duo will be happy to hear that they plan to reunite, as WWE seemingly broke them up for no reason. However, they would need a new tag team name as WWE filed for The IIconics trademarked in 2019. While Spears isn’t able to confirm they are AEW bound, it’s reasonable to expect they will at least be discussed. What currently goes against them joining Spears in the promotion is how many wrestlers AEW has presently under contract.
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Near the end of Saturday night’s Rey de Reyes event put on by AAA, former WWE wrestler Andrade issued a challenge to Kenny Omega for his AAA Mega Championship at Triplemania XXIX via pre-recorded video. This is the top title in the promotion and has been held by Omega since October 2019, when he defeated Fénix at Héroes Inmortales XIII. However, despite such a long run as champion, Omega has only defended the title four times, twice being in AEW.
You can watch the video below in which Andrade also states he wants to face Psycho Clown.
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At present, there is no confirmed date for TripleMania XXIX, with the month of the event varying, although August has typically been used in recent years. Last year’s show was scheduled for then but was later moved to December.
Once the match with Omega becomes official, it will be Andrade’s third announced match since departing WWE in March. Over the weekend, it was confirmed he would compete on the first Federacion Wrestling event on June 19. Additionally, he is booked to wrestle Alberto Del Rio in Texas on July 31.
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It was the end of an era last night on SmackDown as Roman Reigns changed his theme music for the first time, having used The Shield’s them since 2012. Having ditched the SWAT tactical vest at last Clash of Champions, this is the next step in the evolution of his heel character, and you can hear the new theme below.
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Reigns revealed in an interview last year that he would eventually get new music, and the belief is that he has been heavily involved in creating the theme. WWE first began working on the theme when he returned last August, but it was decided to hold off until his heel tribal chief character was fully established.
So far, reviews have been mixed, with some fans loving the intro but criticizing the main music. However, as Reigns has had the iconic Shield theme for so long, fans are bound to need time to get used to it.
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On March 26, 2021, Road Dogg suffered a suspected heart attack and was hospitalized for several days while tests and a cardiac catheterization were carried out. Considering the 51-year-old has underlying health conditions and his brother Brad Armstrong passed away in 2012 aged just 50 for the same reason, this was a scary situation. Thankfully his wife Tracy would confirm on Facebook that the WWE Hall of Famer had no blockages and was permitted to return home.
Now, PWInsider has reported that this past Tuesday night, he was in attendance to work as a producer for NXT at the Capitol Wrestling Center. Apparently, he had been involved with previous shows virtually, but this was the first time he was physically present. This will be a big plus for WWE as he is considered a significant creative influence for NXT and has a lot of writing experience, having been one of SmackDown’s lead writers in the past.
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Molly Holly was announced as the first inductee for WWE’s Hall of Fame Class of 2021. While her career was not long, with her semi-retiring in 2005 after only eight years in the business, she was a memorable character that was twice WWE Women’s Champion and held the WWF Hardcore Championship for an hour at WrestleMania X8.
She now trains wrestlers at Ken Anderson and Shawn Daivari’s wrestling school in Minnesota, and being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame was a big deal for her. Initially, she was told she had 15 minutes for her speech, but after spending around hours rehearsing, she was told she only had two minutes, which she has admitted in an interview with Busted Open left her in tears.
I was told I’d have about 15 minutes to give a speech, so I spent a lot of time and had three friends of mine that are professional writers help me, and I practiced it for like 60 hours. I have a regular 9-5 job, and after work every day, I would practice it while I was going for a walk, and I worked really hard on it, and then a couple of days before, they said, “Oh, never mind, you actually have two minutes to give your speech,” and I cried for like four hours.
“But, here’s the good news, the WWE made it right, and they let me give my speech on their YouTube page. They have like 75 million people that have looked on that. So I was like so hurt, and then I was so happy that they let me thank Dean Malenko and Lanny Poffo and these people that really, really helped shape my career, so it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions for me.Molly Holly
Her full speech was excellent, and it’s a shame WWE treated her as an afterthought. Thankfully WWE did allow Holly to share her speech with fans in its entirety, and as of writing, it has been viewed over 80,000 times on YouTube, and you can watch it for yourself below.
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Mickie James was among ten wrestlers released by WWE on April 15th, 2021, and she later exposed in a tweet that her belongings had been returned to her in a trash bag. This resulted in social media outrage, and both Triple H and Stephanie McMahon publicly apologized to her on Twitter. They also announced that the person responsible had been fired. Now, while speaking on GAW TV, she revealed that Vince McMahon also contacted her to let her know that a trash bag wasn’t to signify that isn’t how he felt about her.
He called me on the phone to apologize and to let me know that this isn’t what he thought of me. I tagged Vince in that tweet because he needs to know, because there’s a lot of stuff that happens under his nose that he is completely oblivious to because he’s running a multi-billion dollar company.Mickie James
Following James’ tweet, both Maria Kanellis and Jillian Hall confirmed they had received comparable treatment when let go by the company. So clearly, WWE sending belongs in trash bags has been going on for over a decade, with other members of WWE management teams seemingly unaware.
It’s understood the person let go was Mark Carrano, who was formally Senior Director of Talent Relations and known for appearing on Total Divas. The belief was he was on borrowed time since WWE had put John Laurinaitis in charge of his department, so this was the perfect excuse to let him go.
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